Adjustable sink



K. NEBEL.

ADJUSTABLE SINK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1920.

Patented July 19, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- K. NEBEL.

ADJUSTABLE SINK- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1920.

1,385,262. I Patented July 19, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES KURT NEBEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE SINK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July'19, 1921.

Application filed March 18, 1920. Serial No. 366,768.

T 0 a]? '10 from it may concern:

Be it known that I, KURT NEBEL, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable-Sinks, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to adjustable sinks, and has for its primary object the provision of improved means for varying at will the height of a sink or the like from the fioor. A further object of the invention is to provide a construction for a'djlustable sinks, whereby the wall back of the sink is protect ed by splash boards, regardless of the height to which the sink is adjusted. Another object is to provide improved means for elevating and lowering a sink.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form apart of this specification and illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is "a front elevation of my invention showing the sink adjusted to the lower limit of its movement, portions of the splash boards and drain boards being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a mutilated section taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but illustrating the sink at the upper limit of its movement.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a left end elevation of the invention showing a modified form of the adjusting apparatus; the drain board being omitted and the upper portion of the splash boards being broken away. i

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the elements employed for adjustin purposes in the modification shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a similar element employed in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4.

Reference numeral 10 indicates any ordinary form of sink, the one illustrated being of that type generally installed in a kitchen. It is well known that when a sink is installed at a. standard height, its use causes discomfort to the housewife in many instances, either because she is short and the sink is too high to be convenient, or that, conversely, she is tall and the. sink is too low for comfort, necessitating a continual foring' drain ward bending of the body to bring her hands to the level of a dishpan standing in the sink. 11 represents a vertically dependpipe for the sink, telescoping inside the elongated upper arm 12 of a trap 13. The sink is upheld by any suitable number of supporting devices, preferably three, as shown in Fig. 3, these being generally indicated by numerals '14, 15 and 16; the sink'leg 14 is at the middle of the back of the sink and the front of the sink is upheld by the supports 15 and 16 placed respectively at the right and left hand ends of the sink. Each of these supports com.- prises a casting 17, rigidly depending from the sink and deeply tapped upwardly with a left hand thread from its lower end; a standard 18 resting on the floor and deeply tapped downwardly with a right hand thread from its upper end; and an adjusting strut generally indicated at 19, having itsupper end provided with a left hand thread 21 fitting into the thread of casting 17 its lower end provided with a right hand thread 22 fitting the thread of standard 18, and, at its center of length, a sprocket wheel or other suitable device 23 for causing rotation of the strut. In the preferred form of my invention as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 thesprocket wheel 23 is employed on each of the supports, the teeth of these sprockets being engaged by a chain 24. Obviously, rotation of one of the struts 19 is conveyed by chain 24 to the other struts causing a uniform upward or downward travel of the sink in accordance with the direction of rotation of the struts. Should it be found more convenient. however, I contemplate the elimination of chain 24 and the application to the several struts, in succession of a wrench suitably shaped to rotate each strut independently until the sink is brought to the desired height. The chainless condition of.one of the struts 19 is illustrated in Fig. 5.

As a means of rotating chain 24 I provide the strut 19 of supporting device 14 with a fixed gear wheel 25 positioned above sprocket 23 and in constant mesh with a driving pinion 26 fixed on the lower end of a vertical shaft 27. Shaft 27 is vertically slidabie and also rotatable in a lower bearing 28 and an upper bearing 29, and has its upper extremity squared as at 31 for convenient application of a wrench. Concentrically located upon the strut 19 of supporting device 14 is a disk 32 of greater diameter than gear 25, and with its upper surface preferably in contact with the lower side surface of that gear. The greater diameter of plate 32 causes it to underlie and support pinion 26 and shaft 27. Bearing 28 is fixed upon and carried by the casting 17 of supporting device 14, while bearing 29 is carried by an outer splash board 33 secured to wall 30 in a manner to be described. Obviously the rotation of shaft 27 will convey rotative power through pinion 2G and gear to the strut 19 ot' the rear supporting device 1 1; and rotation of that strut will be conducted through chain 21 to the struts of the forward supporting devices 15 and 16.

If it is desired to eliminate the use of chain '21 I may, as stated above. apply a wrench to each of the sprockets 2 in turn,

rotating each sprocket slightly. in succession until the sink has reached the proper level. I contemplate, however, a form of my invention wherein not only chain 24, but also gear 25, pinion 2G, shaft 27, bearings 28 and 29. and plate 32 are eliminated. Such a modification of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, wherein three struts 34 are substituted for the struts 19, each strut 31 being provided centrally with a fixed hexagonal nut 35 which, by means of an ordinary monkey-wrench, may be employed to rotate the strut. Preferably the sink of the present invention comprises an inner splashboard 36, extending upwardly from the rear wall 37 of sink 10. This inner splash board is overlapped by the outer splashboard 33 above referred to, the latter being hung in the ordinary manner, as by a hook 39 from the wall 30. Faucets 41 and 42 rigidly supported in wall 30 traverse apertures provided forthem in the outer splash board 33, and, when sink 10 has reached the upper limit of its path of adjustment, the upper edge of inner splash board 36 lies substantially at the level of these faucets.

As seen in Fig. 2, the upper threaded end 21 of the strut 19 of the rear supporting device 14: is longer than the corresponding portions in devices 15 and 16, and this longer portion engages a shorter casting 17, the tapped pole of which extends higher than do those in castings 17 at the front of the sink. This slight alteration of proportion is provided to accommodate the distance taken up axially of the supporting device 14, by gear 25 and plate 32.

In. the operation of the preferred form of the device, and considering the parts as in the position of Fig. 1 where the sink is at the bottom of its path of movement, a wrench is applied to the squared upper extremity 31 of shaft 27, and that shaft rotated to accomplish the synchronous rotation of the three struts 19 above described. That rotation accomplishes the upward travel of struts 19 in standards 18, these struts also carrying upward castings 1T, sink 1t) and drain pipe 11; this rotation of the struts 19 also causes castings 17, sink 10 and drain pipe 11 to travel upwardly on struts 19, so that the adjustment of the sink, even to the upper extremity illustrated in Fig. 2, is quickly accomplished. Rotation of shaft 27 in a reverse direction obviously causes a lowering of sink 10 and the parts carried thereby. The overlapping of outer splash board 33 and inner splash board 36 is so proportioned that, in any position of the sink, they protect wall from splashing. Preferably sink 10 carries end drain boards 43 and 1 1 supported in the usual manner by braces 45 and 46 respectively.

The preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 may, however, be operated by successive rotations of struts 19 to bring the sink and splash boards to any desired level, this function being accomplished by removal of chain 2st and application of a wrench to the several sprockets 23.

If a sink adjusted in this manner is desired, however, I make use, in that event, of the modification shown in Figs. 4- and 6, where application of a wrench to the nuts 35 accomplishes the proper adjustment of the sink. Inthis latter modification it is not necessary to lengthen the upper end 21 of the rear strut 34, nor to shorten its companion casting 17, inasmuch as gear 25 and plate 32 are eliminated.

I claim:

1. The combination with a sink or the like, of a splash board hung from a. wall adjacent the sink, a supporting device for the sink comprising a geared rotatable adjusting member, a pinion held in mesh with the gear of said member, and a pinion rotating shaft extending to a point above said splash board and having its up )er end formed for engagement by a wrench 2. The combination with a sink or the like, of a plurality of supporting devices therefor; each of said devices com )rising a fitting depending from the sink, an alined standard bearing upon the floor, and a sprocketed strut having its upper end in threaded engagement with the fitting and its lower end in oppositely pitched threaded engagement with the standard; a chain meshing with the sprockets of all of said members, a gear fixed upon one of said members, a disk of greater diameter than the gear concentrically fixed to the geared member below the gear, a pinion meshing with said gear and supported on said disk. a bearing concentric with said pinion and rigidly extending from one of said fittings, and a shaft journaled in the bearing and upon which the pinion is fixed.

3. The combination with a sink or the like, of means for vertically adjusting the same, an inner splash board extending upwardly from the rear wall of the sink, and an outer splash board overlapping said innor splash board and fixedly hung from a wall adjacent said sink.

4. The combination with a sink or the like, of a plurality of supporting devices therefor, each of said devices comprising a fitting'depending from the sink, and alined standard bearing upon the floor, and a sprocketed strut having its upper end in threaded engagement with the fitting and its lower end in oppositely pitched threaded engagement with the standard; a chain meshing with the sprockets of all of said members, a gear fixed upon one of said members, a disk of greater diameter than the gear concentrically fixed to the geared member below the gear, a pinion meshing with said ear and supported on said disk, and a sha t upon which the pinion is fixed.

KURT NEBEL. 

